11 Days / 10 Nights 
Chennai, Mahabalipuram, Pondicherry, Tanjore, Madurai, Thekkady, Kumarkom, Cochin

Day : 01 Arrive Chennai 

Welcome to your 'Taste of South India' tour. On arrival at the Chennai International Airport, following customs, immigration formalities and baggage collection, a Cox & Kings representative will meet you as you exit the arrivals terminal building and transfer you to your hotel. Popularly regarded as the "Gateway to the South", Chennai (formerly known as Madras), the largest city in South India and the capital of Tamil Nadu is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. Overnight at hotel. 

Day : 02 To Mahabalipuram 

After breakfast, you will proceed on a guided panoramic city tour of Chennai. Drive past some of the famous colonial landmarks which include the Fort St. George, the fi rst British outpost in India and the San Thome Church. Following the city tour, you will drive to the impressive temple town of Kanchipuram known as the Golden City of a Thousand Temples. It is famous for both its temples, many of them remarkably well preserved and for its hand-woven silks. Continue to the seaside village of 'Mamallapuram' popularly known as Mahabalipuram, once the main port of the Pallava Dynasty. Today, it is the site of several antique sculptural marvels. Declared as the world heritage site by UNESCO, Mahabalipuram boasts of some of India's most sublime rock-cut art. On arrival, you will check into your hotel. Overnight at hotel. 

Day : 03 To Pondichery 

Following breakfast, you will visit the famous rock-cut and the sea shore temple. 'Arjuna's Penance' is the world's largest bas relief measuring 27 meters by 9 meters. The hillside is scattered with eight temple porches with bold sculptures inside and there is also one surviving Shore Temple, built in the 1st century. A row of nandi bulls surrounds its walls and Mahabalipuram also boasts an excellent open-air museum where you can watch stonemasons at work. Continue on drive to Pondicherry, where on arrival, you will check into your hotel. Pondicherry has a rich French cultural heritage, having been the capital of the French colonies in India since the 17th century. The French legacy is visible in the well-planned town, neatly laid roads, wide and vibrant beaches, beautiful promenades, architecturally imposing churches and public buildings. Later, enjoy an orientation tour of Pondicherry, driving through its main promenande, past elegant colonial mansions and tree lined boulevards. Overnight at hotel. 


Day : 04 To Tanjore 

After breakfast, proceed on a drive through the rich countryside, past rice fi elds and colourful 'ayyanar dieties' to Tanjore. En route you will visit the temple town of Swamimalai, one of the six abodes dedicated to Lord Subramanya. It is a sylvan village, situated about fi ve kilometres west of Kumbakonam on the banks of a tributary of River Cauvery and is fourth among the six 'padai veedu' or sacred shrines dedicated to Lord Muruga. Continue on drive to Tanjore where on arrival you will check into your hotel. Also referred to as Thanjavur, it was the capital city of the Chola kingdom from the 9th to the 13th centuries. There are more than 70 temples in Thanjavur, the most important being the famous Brihadeeswara Temple. Overnight at hotel. 

Day : 05 In Tanjore 

Today, after breakfast, you will visit the the Sri Brihadeeshwara Temple built by the great Chola King, Raja Raja I in the 10th century AD and listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. Continue on a visit to the Tanjore Palace and Museum. The Palace, adjacent to the temple is a vast structure of outstanding architecture built partly by the Nayaks and partly by the Marathas around 1550 AD. The Royal museum displays many items of the kings who ruled the palace in the past - the royal clothes, hunting weapons, the head gears and many more such items. The Nayak hall of the palace is converted into an Art Gallery which has an excellent collection of artefacts from the Chola dynasty. Next to the art gallery is the Saraswathi Mahal Library with an amazing collection of manuscripts on palm leaves and paper. The library is not open to the public. But one can always go in the museum to have look at the full Ramayana written on palm leaf or a set of explicit prints of prisoners under Chinese torture. Overnight at the hotel. 

Day : 06 To Madurai 

This morning, you will drive to Madurai, en route visiting Trichy (as Tiruchirapalli is commonly known), which lies on the banks of the Cauvery. The long